The series began in 1998 with audio adaptations of six Virgin New Adventures novels. After this first season's success, Big Finish began producing audio stories and prose stories simultaneously. These were initially released alternately so that both the audio and the prose made up one continuous series, with some of the wider arc stories only being featured and explained in detail in one medium. For example, Bernice's pregnancy began and ended in the novels The Gods of the Underworld and The Glass Prison, but the audio stories made several minor references to her pregnancy. However, this practice ceased after the third series.

Many characters created or established in the Virgin New Adventures, such as Jason Kane and Irving Braxiatel, made major appearances in this series. Most of the stories cover Bernice's life following her departure from travelling with the Doctor. However, several prose releases have featured stories that portrayed Bernice's life long before she met the Doctor.